Welcome to the Jack Templar and the Monster Academy blog tour hosted by I Am A Reader Not Writer. You can find the full tour schedule here: Tour Schedule
Jack Templar and the Monster Hunter Academy (Book 2)
After barely surviving the onslaught of monsters that tried to kill him the day before his fourteenth birthday, Jack Templar leaves his hometown on a quest to rescue his father and discover the truth about his past. Joined by his friends Will and T-Rex, and led by Eva, the mysterious one-handed monster hunter, Jack sets out for the Monster Hunter Academy where he hopes to find answers to his questions. Little does he suspect that the Academy is filled with dangers of its own, many of them more terrifying than anything he’s faced so far.
The Cover Contessa's Review:
I want to thank Jeff Gunhus and I Am A Reader Not a Writer for sending me a copy of this book to read and give an honest review. Receiving this book for free has in no way influenced my opinion or review.
Blurb from Goodreads:
After barely surviving the onslaught of monsters that tried to kill him the day before his fourteenth birthday, Jack Templar leaves his hometown on a quest to rescue his father and discover the truth about his past. Joined by his friends Will and T-Rex, and led by Eva, the mysterious one-handed monster hunter, Jack sets out for the Monster Hunter Academy where he hopes to find answers to his questions. Little does he suspect that the Academy is filled with dangers of its own, many of them more terrifying than anything he’s faced so far.
I don't read much middle grade, even though I really enjoy it. So when I do pick one up, I want it to blow me out of the water. Seeing as I'm a big romantic fan, and middle grade doesn't have much of that, I have to have lots of action and adventure to keep my attention. I knew this one would do it. I was honored to have read the first book in this series a few months ago and I really enjoyed it. So I knew when this one was offered I needed to grab it and go. I am so glad I did!
Jack continues to be a great character. He shows a ton of growth and development in this book. He learns from his mistakes and moves on to overcome odds that you would never think he could. He is kind and caring, sometimes to a fault (as he gets himself into situations that you don't think he would be able to get out of otherwise). I love that he is very concerned for his friends' safety, he really doesn't seem to have a self-centered bone in his body. Unusual for any teenager, even at 14. And he is strong but not always confident and often questions whether or not he'll be able to pull through things.
His friends continue to grow and mature, as well. Will really takes to being at the academy and shines through. T-Rex finds his nitch and it's perfect for him. Eva is a great monster hunter and challenges Jack to become even better. And Jack's new "friend", Daniel, proves to be a challenge and then someone Jack can honesty rely on. I love that the secondary characters grow in this book. It's nice to see them follow along with the main character's development. I love all the new characters that were introduced, they really lend a great addition to the story.
As with the first book, this one is fast paced and fun. I didn't want to put it down once the action began! There are scary scenes and funny scenes, there are scenes that will move you. You learn so much about the Knights Templar and what they stand for. You learn a lot about Jack's history and why he must fight for what he believes in. Gunhus takes you on a ride that you will not soon forget. His story is reminiscent of Percy Jackson or Harry Potter for sure. Anyone who enjoyed those epic books will certainly take a liking to Jack and his crew.
The second book in this series was not a disappointment at all. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed this one even more than the first. I think because I already was invested in the characters and really wanted to see them come through in the end. It's full of fantasy and fun. And Gunhus's (or Jack's) warnings at the beginning of the book will just make you want to read it more! I'm really looking forward to the next installment in this series and have already told my son (who is 9 1/2) that I think he would really enjoy this story!
Blurb from Goodreads:
After barely surviving the onslaught of monsters that tried to kill him the day before his fourteenth birthday, Jack Templar leaves his hometown on a quest to rescue his father and discover the truth about his past. Joined by his friends Will and T-Rex, and led by Eva, the mysterious one-handed monster hunter, Jack sets out for the Monster Hunter Academy where he hopes to find answers to his questions. Little does he suspect that the Academy is filled with dangers of its own, many of them more terrifying than anything he’s faced so far.
I don't read much middle grade, even though I really enjoy it. So when I do pick one up, I want it to blow me out of the water. Seeing as I'm a big romantic fan, and middle grade doesn't have much of that, I have to have lots of action and adventure to keep my attention. I knew this one would do it. I was honored to have read the first book in this series a few months ago and I really enjoyed it. So I knew when this one was offered I needed to grab it and go. I am so glad I did!
Jack continues to be a great character. He shows a ton of growth and development in this book. He learns from his mistakes and moves on to overcome odds that you would never think he could. He is kind and caring, sometimes to a fault (as he gets himself into situations that you don't think he would be able to get out of otherwise). I love that he is very concerned for his friends' safety, he really doesn't seem to have a self-centered bone in his body. Unusual for any teenager, even at 14. And he is strong but not always confident and often questions whether or not he'll be able to pull through things.
His friends continue to grow and mature, as well. Will really takes to being at the academy and shines through. T-Rex finds his nitch and it's perfect for him. Eva is a great monster hunter and challenges Jack to become even better. And Jack's new "friend", Daniel, proves to be a challenge and then someone Jack can honesty rely on. I love that the secondary characters grow in this book. It's nice to see them follow along with the main character's development. I love all the new characters that were introduced, they really lend a great addition to the story.
As with the first book, this one is fast paced and fun. I didn't want to put it down once the action began! There are scary scenes and funny scenes, there are scenes that will move you. You learn so much about the Knights Templar and what they stand for. You learn a lot about Jack's history and why he must fight for what he believes in. Gunhus takes you on a ride that you will not soon forget. His story is reminiscent of Percy Jackson or Harry Potter for sure. Anyone who enjoyed those epic books will certainly take a liking to Jack and his crew.
The second book in this series was not a disappointment at all. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed this one even more than the first. I think because I already was invested in the characters and really wanted to see them come through in the end. It's full of fantasy and fun. And Gunhus's (or Jack's) warnings at the beginning of the book will just make you want to read it more! I'm really looking forward to the next installment in this series and have already told my son (who is 9 1/2) that I think he would really enjoy this story!
Awards for Jack Templar Monster Hunter
Book of the Year Finalist by Forward Magazine
Jack Templar: Monster Hunter Orphan Jack Templar has no memory of his parents and only the smallest details from his Aunt Sophie about how they died. The day before Jack's fourteenth birthday, things start to change for him. At first it's great: A sudden new strength helps him defend his nose-picking friend "T-Rex" from the school bully, and even his crush, Cindy Adams, takes notice. But then a mysterious girl named Eva arrives and tells him two facts that will change his life forever. First, that he's the descendent of a long line of monster hunters and he's destined to be in the family business. Second, that there's a truce between man and monster that children are off-limits...until their fourteenth birthday! Jack has only one day before hundreds of monsters will descend on his little town of Sunnyvale and try to kill him. As if that weren't enough, things get even more complicated when Jack discovers that the Lord of the Creach (as the monsters are collectively known) holds a personal grudge against him and will do anything to see that Jack has a slow and painful death. To stay alive and save his friends, Jack will have to battle werewolves, vampires, harpies, trolls, zombies and more. But perhaps the most dangerous thing he must face is the truth about his past. Why do the other hunters call him the last Templar? Why do they whisper that he may be the "One?" Why do the monsters want him dead so badly? Even as these questions plague him, he quickly discovers survival is his new full-time job and that in the world of monster hunters, nothing is really what it seems.
Author Jeff Gunhus
Jeff Gunhus grew up in Cyprus, Greece, and Saudi Arabia where there was a distinct lack of television. He quickly found books were the gateway to incredible adventures, fascinating characters and unbelievable discoveries. Now, with five children of his own (all who watch too much television, in his opinion), he has enjoyed revisiting his old books and reliving those adventures all over again.
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